The growing stockpile of nuclear weapons around the world has once again raised serious questions about global security. According to a recent report released by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), there are currently about 10,000 nuclear weapons that are ready to be used at any time.
The report says that the total destructive power of these weapons is about 135,000 times greater than the bomb used in the Hiroshima atomic bombing. It should be remembered that the first atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945 killed more than 140,000 people.
According to ICAN, the number of nuclear weapons has been increasing steadily since 2017, and 141 new weapons were added to the global stockpile last year alone. Some of these weapons are mounted on ballistic missiles, submarines, mobile launchers and bombers, while a large number are kept in reserve.
The report also states that about 2,500 nuclear weapons are currently inactive and awaiting destruction, but practical progress is slow.
Among the nuclear-weapon states, China, India, North Korea, Pakistan and Russia are increasing their stockpiles, while the United States and France are also working on modernization projects. Other nuclear powers include the United Kingdom and Israel.
ICAN played a key role in the implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in 2021, for which it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. By the end of 2025, 99 countries had become parties to the treaty, but all nine nuclear powers and their allies, including NATO countries, are still outside the treaty.
According to experts, this increase in nuclear weapons is not only giving rise to a new arms race but is also increasing threats to world peace.
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